The Minister's greatest success is that the proposal for full decoupling of direct payments has been amended to allow member states a range of options to implement decoupling in a manner best suited to their agricultural requirements. Decoupling is best suited to Irish needs, apart from the slaughter premium. There is an option for full decoupling of all payments or several options can apply. In arable aid to cereals there can be full decoupling or up to 25% coupled. In the beef sector, suckler cow premium may be either fully coupled or decoupled at a level of up to 100%. If the SCP is fully coupled up to 40% of the slaughter premium may be retained as coupled. If, however, the SCP is fully decoupled, slaughter premium may be fully coupled or decoupled at any level up to 100%, or up to 75% of the special beef premium may be coupled. For sheep farmers there will be full decoupling of all premia or up to 50%. We are all aware of the huge benefits of that scheme, particularly for the west and south west, where there have been problems with overgrazing. The Commission has proposed the retention of the supplementary ewe premium as a coupled payment and the full decoupling of the ewe premium.